Location: Algarve, PortugalBest time to go: June or July, before all the European vacationers in AugustPack your: Discretion (many women bathe topless). Golden sands at the base of hundred-foot cliffs and sunny weather make the Algarve region one of the best beach destinations in Europe.

San Lorenzo Golf Club

Location: Quinta do Lago, PortugalDrive time to beach: 30 minutesDay at the beach: Bordering a nature reserve and estuary, San Lorenzo is one of the top-ranked courses in the country, winding its way gently over undulating pine woodland.